Propeller mechanism for boats.



No. 802,704. PATENTED OCT. 24:, 1905.

JJH. NYENHUIS.

PROPBLLER MECHANISM FOR BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.17,1904.

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4 7 A Jfim a PATENTED OCT. 24, 1905.

J. H. NYENHUIS. PROPELLER MECHANISM FOR BOATS.

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PA l N JOHN HENRY NYE-NHUIS, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PFIOFELLIER MECHANISM FOR BOATS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1905.

Application filed October 17, 1904:. Serial No. 228,801.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HENRY NYENHUIS, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of (look and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Propeller Mechanism for Boats, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to paddle-wheelsor paddle propellers for boats.

The object of my invention is to provide a paddle-propeller mechanism of a strong, simple, efficient, and durable construction in which any number of paddles or blades desired may effectively engage the water at a time and in which the paddles or blades may be caused to enter and leave the water vertically or at any other angle desired and in which the paddles or blades in their operative position in the water may be caused each to present a maximum surface to the resistance of the water and in which the depth or extent to which the blades enter the water may be conveniently regulated as occasion may require.

My invention consists in the novel construction of parts and devices and in the novel combinations of parts and devices herein shown or described and by which I accomplish this object or result.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of propeller mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section on the broken line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. i is an enlarged detail vertical section showing the connection of one of the paddles or blades with the endless chains, and Fig. 5 is a detail sectionon line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

In said drawings, A represents a portion of the frame or vessel upon which the propeller mechanism is mounted.

B is the driving-shaft, journaled on suitable brackets B, attached to the frame and having the driving-pulley B connected with the engine or other motor and furnished with driving pulleys or sprockets B for communicating motion to the propeller mechanism through the chains B*.

C is a swinging frame carrying the propeller mechanism and supported at its two ends by two pairs of swinging arms C from the main frame A of the vessel and at the center by a pair of cables which are wound around the drums C on the shaft C, so that by turning the drums the swinging propeller-frame C may be raised or lowered, as required. to regulate the depth the propeller blades or paddles enter the water. The drum-shaft C is furnished with a crank or lever C for turning the same and with a sprocket-wheel C, engaged by a pawl C for holding the shaft in position.

D D and D D are two pairs of sprocketwheels, each sprocket-wheel D having a short shaft D carried by or mounted on the swinging propeller-frame (I, and each sprocketwheel D having a short shaft D similarly mounted on the swinging propeller-frame C. Each of the sprocket-wheels D or its shaft D is provided with a sprocket-gear d, which is driven by the driving-chain B, through which motion is communicated from the drivingshaft B to the propeller mechanism. The short shafts D of the sprocket-wheels D are each furnished with crank-arms d, upon the lower ends of which are journaled the hubs or shafts f of an inner pair of sprocket-wheels F F, and the short shafts I) of the sprocket-wheels D are also furnished with similar crank-arms (.Z, upon-the lower ends of which are journaled the studs or hubs f of another pair of inner sprocket-wheels F F. The sprocketwheels D and F are further connected together by a series of crank-arms (Z each crank-arm (Z being journaled at one end in the sprocketwheel D and at its opposite end in the sprocketwheel F. Similar crank-arms may also further connect the sprocket-wheels D and F.

G G are a pair of paddle or blade carrying endless chains which engage the upper or driven sprocket-wheels D D, and H H are a pair of paddle or blade carrying chains which engage the inner set of sprocket-wheels F F.

K K are the paddles or blades, each paddle or blade having at each end a crank-arm I), having a wrist-pin 7r, journaled in a split box or bearing 7? on the endless chain H, and a similar journal or wrist-pin @OTEIOD Z1 journaled in a similar split box or bearing 71: in the endless chain G. The split box or bearings k extend through and connect the links 9 and 7a of the chains Gr and H, respectively. Each of the split boxes in has a flange 70* at one end and a slotted spring-washer is at the opposite end, which engages notches in at the other end of the split box 70 The split box 7:1 has flattened sides I," to engage corresponding flattened portions 71: of the slotted springwasher 7c. The flange 71: and slotted washer if on the split box is thus embrace the links of the chain, and the split box is thus held in IIO position. Each of the split boxes Z5 is also furnished with an antifriction ring or roller k, which fits between the links of the chain and engages the notches of the sprocket-wheel.

The two sets of sprocket-wheels D F and D F are thus connected together by the axial cranks (Z and also by the non-axial cranks (Z while at the same time the two sets of chains G H and G H are also connected together by the series of cranks Z2, so that motion communicated from the driv'ingchains B to the frame-supported sprocket-wheels D D will be connected, through the endless chains G Gr, to the other two frame supported sprocketwheels D D and through the connecting cranks (Z, (Z and K to the other suspended sprockets F F F F and the chains H H thereon, while at the same time the paddles or blades K are caused to maintain themselves parallel to each other during their movement, and thus to enter and leave the water at the same angle.

The paddle-cranks 7: are preferably made integral with the metal frames K of the pad dles or blades K.

M M are guides for the lower runs of the chains G, which travel on the frame-supported sprocket-wheels. These guides M have lateral slots m, through which the paddle-cranks l: project, so that the lower runs of the chains G may be properly guided without interfering with the cranks in. The slotted guides M are supported on arms m.

N is the adjusting-lever to vary the angle at which the blades or paddles K enter and leave the water. This lever has two forks '71, secured to the squared or non-circular portion (Z of the crank-shafts D so that by turning the lever N the crank-shafts D may be turned, and thus swing the crank-arms (1, which are rigidly secured to the crank-shafts D and thus vary the relative position of the cranks 6?, al, and 1 in respect to the vertical, and thereby vary the angle at which the paddles or blades K enter or leave the water.

P is a rack or device for holding the lever N in various positions to which it may be adjusted.

Each pair of inner sprocket-wheels F F and F F are connected together at their centers by stems or tubes F The lever N is connected by connectingbars N to similar levers N on the shafts of the frame-supported sprocket-wheels D.

I claim- 1. In a paddle-propeller mechanism, the combination of propeller frame, swinging arms supporting said propeller-frame at two ends, cables and winding-drums for adjusting the height of said propeller-frame, two pairs of sprocket-wheels journaled on said propeller-frame, two chains on said sprocket-wheels of the propeller-frame, two pairs of inner or suspended sprocket-wheels, axial crank-arms connecting said frame-supported and said suspended sprocket-wheels, non-axial crank-arms connecting said sprocket-wheels, two chains on said suspended sprocket-wheels, a series of paddles or blades between the chains of the suspended sprocket-wheels, a series of cranks connecting the chains on the suspended sprocket-wheels with the chains on the framesupported wheels, guides for the lower runs of the chains on the frame-supported sprocketwheels, and an adjusting-lever connected to the shafts of the cranks axially connecting the frame-supported and suspended sprocketwheels, a driving-shaft and driving-chains engaging sprockets on the frame-supported sprocket-wheels, substantially as specified.

, 2. In a propeller mechanism, the combination with two pairs of frame supported sprocket-wheels and chains thereon, of two pairs of suspended sprocketwheels, chains thereon, cranks axially connecting said framesupported and said suspended sprocketwheels, and aseries of paddles or blades having cranks connecting the sprocket-chains on the suspended sprocket-wheels with the sprocketchains on the frame supported sprocketwheels, substantially as specified.

3. In a propeller mechanism, the combination with two pairs of frame supported sprocket-wheels and chains thereon, of two pairs of suspended sprocketwheels, chains thereon, cranks axially connecting said framesupported andsaid suspended sprocket-w heels, a series of paddles or blades having cranks connecting the sprocket-chains on the suspended sprocket-wheels with the sprocketchains on the framesupported sprocket- Wheels, and an adjusting-lever secured to the shaft of said axial cranks to adjust or vary the angle at which the blades or paddles enter and leave the water, substantially as specified.

4;. In a propeller mechanism, the combination with two pairs of frame supported sprocket-wheels and chains thereon, of two pairs of suspended sprocket wheels, chains thereon, cranks axially connecting said framesupported and said suspendedsprocket-wheels, a series of paddles or blades having cranks connecting the sprocket-chains on the suspended sprocket wheels with the sprocketchains on the frame supported sprocketwheels, a driving-shaft, and means connecting the same with one pair of said framesupported sprocket-wheels, substantially as specified.

5. In a propeller mechanism, the combination with two pairs of frame-supported sprocket-wheels and chains thereon, of two pairs of suspended sprocket-wheels, chains thereon, cranks axially connecting said framesupported and said suspended sprocketwheels, a series of paddles or blades having cranks connecting the sprocket-chains on the suspended sprocket-wheels with the sprocketchains on the framesupported or f wheels, and non-axial cranks conrie lIG frame-supported and said suspended sprocketwheels, substantially as specified.

6. In a propeller mechanism, the combination with a swinging propeller-frame, swinging arms on which said frameis carried, framesupported sprocket-wheels, chains thereon, suspended sprocket-Wheels, chains thereon, axial cranks and non-axial cranks connecting said supported and said suspended sprocketwheels, a series of paddles or blades between said suspended sprocket-wheels, and cranks secured to said paddles or blades and journaled in boxes on said chains, substantially as specified.

7. In a propeller mechanism, the combination with a swinging propeller-frame, swinging arms on which said frame is carried, framesupported sprocket-wheels, chains thereon, suspended sprocket-wheels, chains thereon, axial cranks and non-axial cranks connecting said supported and said suspended sprocketwheels, a series of paddles or blades between said suspended sprocket-wheels, and cranks secured to said paddles or blades and journalecl in boxes on said chains, the cranks connecting said chains having split journal-boxes extending through the links of the chains, substantially as specified.

8. In a propeller mechanism, the combination with a swinging propeller-frame, swinging arms on which said frame is carried, framesupported sprocket-wheels, chains thereon, suspended sprocket-wheels, chains thereon, axial cranks and non-axial cranks connecting said supported and said suspended sprocketwheels, a series of paddles or blades between said suspended sprocket-wheels, and cranks secured to said paddles or blades and journaled in boxes on said chains, the cranks connecting said chains having split journal-boxes extending through the links of the chains, said split boxes having each a flange at one end and a slotted spring-washer at the other, substantially as specified.

9. In a propeller mechanism, the combination with two pairs of frame supported sprocket-wheels and chains thereon, of two pairs of suspended sprocket-wheels, chains thereon, cranks axially connecting said framesupported and said suspended sprocketwheels, a series of paddles or blades having cranks connecting the sprocket-chains on the suspended sprocket-wheels with the sprocketchains on the frame supported sprocketwheels, and guides for the lower run of said frame-supported sprocket-wheel chains, substantially as specified.

JOHN HENRY NYENHUIS.

Witnesses:

H. M. MUNDAY, EDMUND AnoooK. 

